WWE News And Notes, WARNING: May Include Spoilers!

[Darryl The Hitman]

--A documentary movie called "Memphis Heat" was written about in today's Memphis Commercial Appeal. It's about the history of pro wrestling in Memphis in the 50s, 60s and 70s focusing on Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee, Lance Russell, Sputnik Monroe, Jackie Fargo, Jimmy Hart and others. It's based on Ron Hall's publicity picture book "Sputnik, Masked Men & Midgets: The Early Days of Memphis Wrestling." For those of you who are older fans, the book is a fun collectors piece. The movie will be released next year.

--AOL and Time Warner will officially become two different companies as of the open of business Thursday. The merger of AOL Time Warner has been cited as the reason WCW went out of business. The merger was the reason Ted Turner lost all power and couldn't save the wrestling company. But if the company was successful and not losing money at a scary rate, and almost anyone but Jamie Kellner had been hired to oversee all the television programming, history would have been different, merger or not. It still may have gone out of business, but it would have at least had another chance.

--The Hollywood Reporter listed the Power 100 women in the entertainment industry today. Stephanie McMahon and Donna Goldsmith of WWE who have made lists like this in the past, were not on the list. Bonnie Hammer was No. 4, however, behind Amy Pascal of Sony Pictures, Anne Sweeney, president of Disney-ABC and Oprah Winfrey.

--Jim Cornette, who debuts tonight on ROH television, cut a promo on Vince McMahon and Vince Russo among others on the ROH website at http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=3111

--Oleg Prudius aka Vladimir Kozlov became an American citizen this morning, taking the oath of allegiance along with 412 others at the Convention Center in Tampa. He said this was a dream come true. "It was a very long journey but I made it. I'm so excited," he said.

--Lilian Garcia recently did a photo shoot for the No K8 campaign in support of same-sex marriage.

--Jan. 18, 2010 Raw Guest Hosts: Jon Heder & Don Johnson--Stars from the soon-to-be-released film When in Rome, Jon Heder and Don Johnson, will take center stage on Raw on Jan. 18 from Knoxville, Tenn. Known mostly from his role as the discomfited and unintentionally humorous main character in Napoleon Dynamite, Heder enjoyed tremendous success this decade in a variety of comedies. Johnson, meanwhile, who became a popular television icon in the 1980s when starring in the hit series Miami Vice, continues to be an admired Hollywood actor. Their new film is set to be released in theaters on Jan. 29.

--As for the new Monday Night Wars, WWE still has Raw scheduled for 9 PM EST on January 4th, meaning as of tonight the three hour Impact would get a one hour jump on them. WWE may move to counter TNA by asking USA to add an extra hour on the 4th but they haven't done so yet. TNA originally planned to do only two hours but they assumed USA would go three to counter, so they decided to beat them to the punch.

--WWE and the movie industry are actually a big topic today. We've learned that over the next year, WWE studios will film three movies in New Orleans. Also, WWE Studios has purchased the rights to the projects A Chance for Both Barrels and Big Red.

--Speaking of Big Red, here is a synopsis of the project: "In 1965, as the world changes all around him, 12-year-old Andy Nichol comes of age when he's asked by his favorite teacher, Mr. Simon, to partner with school outcast Big Red for an English assignment."

--According to Ric Flair's Facebook, Flair will make the following appearances as a part of the Coca-Cola Tour:

* Stopping in at the D'Iberville, Mississippi Wal-Mart for the Coca-Cola Tour!
Meetings - Club/Group Meeting
Wal-Mart #2715, (228) 396-4740
Thursday, December 10 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

* Headed to the Wal-Mart in Madison Heights, VA on the Coca-Cola Tour.
Meetings - Club/Group Meeting
Wal-Mart #2565
Thursday, December 17 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

--Philstar.com reports that SmackDown superstar Batista was in the Philippines this weekend to help launch a new energy drink called Xplode. Batista, who is a huge national celebrity in his native Philippines, is said to have some some financial stake in the energy drink.

--It's worth noting that Spike TV is going head-to-head with WWE Raw the following week after Monday Night iMPACT! with a live UFC Fight Night special. You can be sure all parties involved (Spike, USA, WWE, TNA, UFC) will be watching to see how TNA and UFC stack up against WWE Raw in early January.

--Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett officially proclaimed December 5th, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Day.

--Vladimir Kozlov is officially a U.S. citizen. Kozlov made the following comments… "Oh to be a U.S. citizen has been like a dream for long time. When I was raised and born in Russia, I had [a] dream to come to United States because U.S. [is a] land of big opportunity. If you work hard, you can reach whatever you want."

--Tyler Reks now has pages on Facebook and MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/tylerreks

--WWE.com has posted a video package of Rey Mysterio signing copies of Behind the Mask.

--Next week's RAW will be a three hour show, starting at 8PM ET. The show will be hosted by Dennis Miller, and will also feature the return of the Slammy Awards.

--Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia recently took part in a photo shoot for the NOH8 campaign petitioning against anti-gay marriage laws. In another Lilian note, the former WWE Diva sang the National Anthem before 76,000 fans prior to last week's New York Jets game. She is auctioning off the #6 Mark Sanchez jersey she wore to the game at http://bit.ly/4EeQzi

--In today's wrestling birthday, Tammy Sytch turns 37 years old. "Sunny" was born on December 7, 1972 in Matawan, New Jersey.

--Tampa Bay Online reports that WWE's Oleg "Vladimir Kozlov" Prudius will be taking the "Oath of Allegiance" at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida today. Kozlov will be there with 413 other people from over 74 countries to take the oath.

--Several WWE talents, including Diva Mickie James via her Twitter page, voiced their disappointment over not being booked for the Tribute to the Troops show in Iraq. With last week's show taped at the Balad Airbase in Iraq, the roster for the show was finalized months in advance as all talents are subject to FBI screening. Also, with all the production equipment and crew, there is limited space on the cargo plane.

--WWE has released Hornswoggle's very own DX t-shirt for sale on their shop website. Speaking of DX and Hornswoggle, no word yet on why the little people's segment didn't air this week but it looks to be scrapped altogether.

--The dark match before tonight's RAW in Dallas saw Chris Masters defeat Alex Riley with the Masterlock. Riley, wearing a letterman's jacket, cut a promo before the match about how he beat people up in high school and now does it for money in WWE.

--Linda McMahon is spending her week meeting with GOP leaders in Washington, according to CQ Politics. She claims that she is meeting with the Senate leaders so that they could ask questions about her bid, not because she's seeking their endorsements. The story also notes that Linda is willing to invest up to $50 million of her own money for her Senate bid. To read the full story, visit CQpolitics.com.

--While the WWE wrestlers were split between Iraq and house shows in the Southern U.S., Batista was in the Philippines last week promoting a new energy drink he is endorsing.

Batista is of Filipino descent and he grabbed headlines in national newspapers declaring that Filipino star boxer Manny Pacquiao will defeat Floyd Mayweather in the March 2010 fight.

Batista told reporters that he'll talk trash with Triple H leading up to the fight. Hunter endorsed Mayweather this past summer prior to Mayweather defeating Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas after Mayweather guest-hosted WWE Raw.

Caldwell's Analysis: WWE's marketing push for WrestleMania 26 would be greatly enhanced if WWE can hitch their wagon to the build-up to Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, which takes place two weeks before WrestleMania. The right strategy would be to book Triple H vs. Batista for WrestleMania in a re-match from WrestleMania 21 when Batista won his first World Title. Stay tuned.

--WWE CFO George Barrios made a presentation to potential investors and advertisers at the annual UBS Global Media & Communications conference in New York City today. Barrios commented on several key business items highlighted below.

-Barrios said WWE will announce more details in 2010 on their plans for a WWE TV Network as they consult with media groups on how best to monetize "over 100,000 hours" in their tape library while using current stars to create new content. Barrios cited WWE Raw being the "number one show on the number one cable network" to give them leverage with cable/satellite distributors.

Related to cable providers, Barrios briefly discussed Comcast announcing their plans to buy a majority stake in NBC Universal. He said WWE is "locked in" with USA Network after both sides renewed their TV deal last month.

-Barrios said WWE has had "more operational missteps than not" trying to find ways to monetize the eyeballs they have on TV and online through their website. WWE's online and PPV business took a hit in the third quarter, which reflects WWE's inability to translate TV viewers into customers for merchandise and PPVs.

-The key to the presentation is that Barrios was trying to give potential investors and advertisers something to latch on to from the presentation. Barrios repeated throughout the presentation that WWE offers "family-friendly" entertainment.

Barrios gave data that WWE's TV audience is 40 percent female and made up of "moms and wives." He spent a considerable amount of time talking about the new toy deal with Mattel that starts in January 2010. Barrios painted pictures of kids wanting to "mimic the moves they see on TV" with the action figures.

Barrios was later asked about UFC's business compared to WWE. Barrios again painted a picture of WWE offering "family-friendly" entertainment by saying people who attend WWE events are the type of people who would also attend "Disney On Ice." He said he's attended UFC events and said, "They're not wearing John Cena t-shirts or Jeff Hardy arm bands like at our events."

Specifically on WWE vs. UFC in the marketplace, Barrios said UFC is a "different type of entertainment." Barrios added that the information they receive from cable companies indicates WWE's PPV audience does not overlap with UFC's PPV audience. He said UFC competes for eyeballs, just like any other form of entertainment, but he said they're "competitive, but not directly competitive."

-WWE has two long-term international business objectives in place related to overseas brand expansion and touring in China. Both are beyond a three-year window of current business objectives, according to Barrios.

Barrios said WWE has TV contracts with nine provinces in China, representing approximately 85 million TV households. That compares to 110 million available households in the U.S.

Barrios also said WWE has talked internally about an overseas brand expansion, but said it's not "imperative" to their current business strategy. He said the preliminary talks have resulted in a hypothetical strategy where they would use current WWE stars as the foundation of an overseas brand while using local talent to fill in slots.

"The Chinese people don't want to see the Chinese Rolling Stones, they want to see the Rolling Stones," he said.

-Barrios also talked about WWE expecting a significant portion of their PPV buys to come from Mexico in the next decade. He cited information that Mexico will be the #4 PPV market in the world over the next 5-10 years.

[Darryl The Hitman]

--Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment issued a press release yesterday announcing the release of "The Marine 2" which is set to debut on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 29. The movie was also bankrolled by WWE Studios and is the second installment of "The Marine" movie franchise which John Cena originally kicked off. The Blu-Ray and DVD special features contain behind-the-scenes footage of the climatic fight scene, a look at the making of the terrorist siege sequence including storyboards, miniatures and hotel
guests' reactions to filming at the five-star resort, a Ted DiBiase profile, including interviews with "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and Ted's brother, Brett, and an inside look at the production style, filming
techniques and shooting in Thailand. The Blu-Ray version will carry a RRP of $29.99 while the DVD will have a RRP of $22.99.

--WWE Superstar Vladimir Kozlov became a U.S. citizen yesterday as more than 400 people from 80 different countries were sworn in at the Tampa Convention Center according to the Tampa Bay Online. The naturalization ceremony started at 9AM and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services administered the oath to the new citizens. Kozlov - real name Oleg Prudius - was born in Ukraine and signed his first WWE contract in 2006.

--Former WWE Chief Executive Officer Linda McMahon will be meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other GOP leaders in Washington this week to discuss her bid for the Connecticut U.S. Senate seat. McMahon - along with Rob Simmons - are the two front runners in the GOP primary as one of them is looking to kick Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd from his seat. McMahon, helped by a very large budget, is slowly gaining popularity and she plans to spend up to $50 million of her own money in her campaign to win the election. She quit WWE last August and removed herself as a member of the Board last month to focus solely on her campaign.

--The RAW rating was a 3.2

--Raw did a 3.23 off hours of 3.18 and 3.28, so at least it grew in hour two. Mark Cuban on Raw got some mainstream pub, including talk on Sportscenter.

--Timbaland will guest host the December 28th show.

--There was a big story in Politico last night about Linda McMahon's campaign. Wrestlers are coming out of the woodwork to bury her, most notably Superstar Billy Graham, but others have stuck up for her including Dawn Marie, who WWE fired as soon as they found out she was pregnant.

--Former WWE star Tajiri will be working with a new promotion, SMASH, which debuts on March 26th, 2010 at Shinjuku Face in Tokyo. They claim they'll have three divisions, MMA, pro-wrestling and kickboxing, and Tajiri is the guy in charge of the wrestling division.

--Raw last night scored a 3.2 rating off hours of 3.18 and 3.28. AM Raw over the weekend did a 0.8 rating.

--WWE has a new announcer for Canadian dates during Raw--Scott Stanford, who replaced Jack Korpela. {DTH: Yeah, I noticed him last night--I think I actually prefer Jack Korpela, sad as that seems.}

--WWE is looking to finalize plans for a tour of China in 2010.

--Politico.com has a big article up, including quotes from former WWE wrestlers, regarding Linda McMahon's Senate campaign. The article focuses largely on the fact that WWE doesn't offer insurance to their wrestlers, but does mention that they know this when they sign the contract. Here are some of the quotes from the wrestlers in the article:

*Joanie "Chyna" Laurer: "If there is a race to Capitol Hill, I hope she gets knocked off before she even starts."

*Larry Zbyszko: "If the people in Connecticut are stupid enough to elect Linda, that's their problem."

*Dawn Marie Psaltis: "I think she'd be awesome. Even through the worst of relationships, I've had to respect them. They are great business people who work with all types of people."

--WWE is already selling the DX/Hornswoggle Littlest Member t-shirt from Raw last night. Ironically the "DX v Hornswoggle" court segment was canceled again last night, as creative felt it would be out of place during the build to TLC.

--The Hollywood Reporter has an article up on Brothers Keeper, a WWE Films project, starring John Cena. The cast will include Patricia Clarkson, Devon Graye, Madeleine Martin and Danny Glover.

--As noted earlier, Politico.com has an article up that paints former WWE CEO and United States Senate hopeful Linda McMahon in a very negative light. The article includes quotes from several former WWE employees, who say it would be downright wrong for McMahon to reach such a high position of power in the United States government. Here are some more quotes from former WWE talent:

Superstar Billy Graham: “This campaign is the height of hypocrisy. I believe the voters and citizens in Connecticut deserve to be told the truth. In no way does she have a rightful place in the U.S. Senate. The fact that we were out there experiencing trauma and drawing in untold millions for the company [means] we should have at least had some sort of health insurance.”

The Blue Meanie: "We’re the guys out there sacrificing ourselves. You’d think they’d throw us a bone. Sometimes you wondered if they saw their employees as humans or farm animals It was like being in the circus. You’re shipped here, perform there; it’s almost like you’re disposable.”

Bruno Sammartino: “I would not vote for her because I know what she contributed to the wrestling world with her husband. The vulgarity, the nudity, the profanity, all that kind of crap — it bothers me.”

WWE’s lack of health insurance is at the heart of the wrestlers’ grievances. They allege that McMahon and her husband, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, ran a billion-dollar company that provided no health insurance for the wrestlers who put their bodies on the line to help turn the WWE into the global phenomenon it is today.

--The guest host for the final WWE RAW of 2008 on December 28th will be rapper and music producer Timbaland. Timbaland will be promoting his new album, "Shock Value II."

--You can follow WWE Magazine on Twitter at twitter.com/wwemagazine

--A WWE.com "SmackDown After the Bell" video segment teases Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero as a new on-screen couple.

--CNBC.com has an article upon WWE looking to expand into new markets, such as Russia and Brazil. They also mention TNA Wrestling as their main competitor, and that they have tried to use a different take on the business by not challenging WWE head-to-head.

--From talking to people in WWE, there is said to be "pretty much no concern whatsoever" in regards to TNA's iMPACT! going head-to-head with Monday Night RAW on January 4, 2010. There is such little concern about TNA that WWE is not even looking to move RAW to three hours, though there is talk of lining up a strong guest host for the first two weeks of the new year.

--Among those in WWE, the general feeling is that TNA president Dixie Carter is "incredibly naïve" and that TNA is in for a massive disappointment come January 5th when the ratings come in.

--On another note, those on the WWE side were happy in the sense that Hulk Hogan mentioned them during last Saturday's The Ultimate Fighter finale because they got free publicity out of it.

--Apparently in response to last week's online report saying WWE talent are no longer allowed to tweet after midnight or discuss UFC, Gregory Helms wrote, "Uh-oh! Tweeting after midnight! Don't believe everything you read kiddies. I even watched TUF tonight. Oh no!!!! This might blow the Tiger Woods story away!"

--David Cox sent this along: After Raw went off the air, Dallas was treated to a six-man tag featuring Jerishow and Orton vs. Dx and Cena. Match was mostly HBK getting beat up with HHH and Cena jumping around playing cheerleader. Finish came when the faces cleared the ring, Jerishow left and Orton was surrounded. Orton teased that he wanted to join DX. HHH crotched chopped him, superkick, pedigree, Attitude Adjustment with Cena getting the pin. Then HHH pinned him, then HBK and finally the ref taking the pin only for Orton to kick out at 2 and run like hell. DX and Cena celebrated with the crowd. They finally pulled Cena in the ring from flirting with hot girls in the front row and invited him to do the "Thousands in attendance" thing. When HHH started he noticed Cena had his back to rigid and need to loosen up. Apparently he looked like he needed to poop (Complete with fart sounds) and offered Cena a chance to go to the back and come back out. Cena declined. HHH invited 3 kids in to show Cena how it was done. HHH made sure to mention the "millions at home who are not watching because we are no longer on the air". Finished the night off with the kids and Cena doing the crotch chop complete with Pyro. Great night, can't wait until the trip to San Antonio for TLC.

--WWE is selling a DVD, t-shirt and dog tag package for The Marine 2 and a DVD & t-shirt package for the World Heavyweight Championship DVD on their shop website for $24.99.

--Charlie Haas reportedly asked WWE for his release within the last few months. Apparently officials were going to grant him the release at first but changed their minds and gave him a raise instead. There was a rumor going around that Kurt Angle had a spot for Haas in TNA so WWE kept Haas around instead of having him jump to TNA.

--If John Cena is the WWE Champion through January 14th, 2010, he will enter the top 15 North American wrestlers in the last 60 years who have held a major version of a World Title for at least 1,000 days.

--As seen last week on RAW, Maryse apparently fainted following her Divas tag match with Melina and Gail Kim. The explanation given for her falling down was that she was just really tired and blown up. She went to do her trademark hair flip, but realized she was not on the hard camera side so she just laid down and laughed off her miscue.

--Nick Hogan isn't the only son of Hulk to be training at Rikishi's Knokx Pro Wrestling school in California. Brent Ferrigno, son of Lou, who starred in the TV series The Incredible Hulk has also been coming to the Gym to work out.

--Superstar Billy Graham is back in Phoenix and is scheduled for upcoming surgery.

--Adam Rothenberg sent along the following: For the Indianapolis Raw scheduled for February 22nd 2010, the main event is being advertised as Champion John Cena vs. The Big Show for the WWE championship.

--ClumsyKitty sent along the following: They are advertising for the WWE RAW main event on Feb. 22 in Indianapolis, IN to be John Cena vs. Big Show for the WWE championship. They also advertised this on the Conseco Fieldhouse website. Take this for what you want. Just wanted to pass this along.

--Melvin Tate sent along the following: I live in Columbus, Ohio and Monday night Raw will be here on January 25, 2010 and they are advertising John Cena and Chris Jericho for the WWE title.

--In today's blog entry by Jim Ross (jrsbarbq.com), he writes:

"I'm feeling better every day and remain upbeat and optimistic that I have not called my last match and that my next one might be sooner than some expect."

Hmmm. Who might qualify as "some"? Maybe Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn?

What if Jim Ross's contract talks with WWE don't result in a renewal of his deal, either because they lowball him, they aren't sure if he will ever announce again and thus delay negotiations, or Ross plays hardball because he has a viable alternative to WWE to do what he loves (and feel appreciated rather than ridiculed)?

Jim Ross walking into the TNA Impact Zone to take over as the lead announcer of Impact would make as much of a statement as anything else I can think of, short of The Rock or Steve Austin or John Cena walking onto that show. WWE isn't going to let any current top WWE wrestlers do what Lex Luger did just before Nitro launched, which is work on TV without a contract pending negotiations. So realistically, TNA cannot delivery Cena, Undertaker, Batista, or Edge, for instance.

But TNA has acquired top WWE wrestlers before, most notably Kurt Angle, but also Booker T, Team 3D, and Christian. None had much effect on ratings. None shifted the balance of power or perception of TNA.

Ross could. Ross is trusted and admired by WWE fans, who recognize that "despite his non-Kohl's catalog looks" he is on WWE for a reason - he's the best at what he does. He enhances every match he calls. He also is the voice of the some of the biggest matches wrestling fans of this generation have seen.

Going to TNA now, with TNA at the stage it's at, with Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle, UFC-plugs, and a relatively long track record that tells fans they're here to stay, would not be seen as a demotion for Ross. Five years ago Ross going to TNA might have been seen by fans as a case of him having no other option. Now it'd be seen as a final legitimization of TNA as credible and major league to a group of fans who might not have been moved by Hulk Hogan and what he represents.

And it might just give Ross a sense of satisfaction after years of being underappreciated and abused by Vince McMahon and his inner-circle who value Ken Doll looks over superior announcing.

ADDENDUM: J.R. has addressed this situation now as it relates to Jan. 4:

keitel818 Asks: Monday Nitro had a 3 man announce team. I can see TNA Monday Night having a 3 man team as well. Tenay, Taz, and good ole J.R.!

J.R.'s Answer: You have an active imagination.

Also, I don't think JR would really be available for January, even if his contract expires. Remember Taz? Non-compete clauses are not exclusive for wrestlers.

(Well, it was fun to consider. Maybe in a few months instead.)

--Last night's edition of WWE Raw guest-hosted by Mark Cuban was up slightly to a 3.23 rating compared to a 3.15 rating for the previous week's show.

The estimated number of viewers for the show averaged out to 4.81 million viewers, which was 8.6 percent fewer than the 2009 yearly average. The show was up slightly in the short-term, but remained on the low-end of the 2009 range.

Raw opened with 4.75 million viewers in the first hour and grew slightly to 4.87 million viewers in the second hour.

WWE showed growth from the first hour to the second hour, unlike last week when WWE started with 4.82 million viewers and declined to 4.55 million viewers in the second hour.

--Monday night's episode of WWE Raw delivered an average 3.23 overall rating. The second hour added viewers compared to the first hour. The show was right in the range of the past five and ten weeks of TV. It was down compared to the yearly 2009 average. In other words, a ho-hum, slightly-below-average episode of Raw up against Monday Night Football.

The show was up 2.7 percent in total viewership compared to last week's show, but was down less than one percent compared to the previous five weeks and also down less than one percent compared to the previous ten weeks of TV (which dates back to September 28).

The key is that this pocket of TV ratings for Raw has been down compared to the yearly average, which was boosted by the WrestleMania build-up in February and March, and the beginning of the guest-hosting concept in the summer prior to Monday Night Football's regular season. As a result, last night's Raw was down 8.6 percent compared to the 2009 average.

Raw TV Viewers Breakdown
12/7 - 4.81 million viewers (Mark Cuban, vs. Week 13 NFL)

LAST FIVE WEEKS OF RAW
11/30 - 4.68 million viewers (Verne Troyer, vs. Week 12 NFL marquee match-up)
11/23 - 5.30 million viewers (4.95 w/first hour) (Jesse Ventura, vs. Week 11 NFL)
11/16 - 5.05 million viewers (Roddy Piper, MSG, vs. Week 10 NFL)
11/9 - 4.25 million viewers (Ricky Hatton, vs. Week 9 NFL)
11/2 - 5.00 million viewers (Ozzy, vs. Week 8 NFL, World Series)
5-WEEK AVERAGE: 4.85 million viewers (12/7 Raw down 0.79 percent)

W/LAST TEN WEEKS OF RAW
10/26 - 5.59 million viewers (NASCAR hosts, vs. Week 7 NFL)
10/19 - 4.64 million viewers (Snoop Dogg, vs. Week 6 NFL, MLB Playoffs)
10/12 - 4.79 million viewers (Nancy & Maria, vs. Week 5 NFL, MLB Playoffs)
10/5 - 4.71 million viewers (Big Ben, vs. Week 4 NFL highest-rated game ever)
9/28 - 4.49 million viewers (Rev. Sharpton, vs. Week 3 NFL Dallas Cowboys)
COMBINED 10-WEEK AVERAGE: 4.84 million viewers (12/7 Raw down 0.76 percent)